The process of extracting natural gas through fracking is casting enough doubts that it is cutting the value of homes affected by it, according to a webinar by attorneys from Ballard Spahr and reported Tuesday in Housing Wire.

In the webinar, entitled “Oil and Gas Exploration for Mortgage Bankers,” attorney Harry Weiss said, “This is not a short-term boom. This is a many, many, many year process. Someday, somewhere, somehow you’re going to see it everywhere.”

Because of unknown and potentially dangerous elements involved in fracking – including accusations of contaminated water, polluted air and even earthquakes – homes with gas wells drop by as much as 15 percent, according to the webinar. “Studies are still being done on all of these, but with the amount of unknown consequences piling up, property values are going down.”

North Carolina legislators are expected to discuss allowing fracking in the state during this summer’s short session of the General Assembly.

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